The Enduring Impact of the Omaha 54
It has been 54 years since the Omaha 54 changed the course of history and paved the way for the creation of the UNO Black Studies Department. To anticipate the future of the interdisciplinary study of the history, culture and politics of Black Americans at UNO, one must understand the significance of the historical event that initiated its establishment.
by Ella Nina Love
Between 1965 and 1972, college and university students across the nation were organizing and advocating for Black Studies courses and more inclusive and relevant education. They desired the knowledge and skills to be change agents in their communities and society at large. At UNO, the student group Black Liberators for Action on Campus (BLAC), protested discrimination.
On November 10, 1969, 54 Black students, including some members of BLAC, performed a sit-in protest in then-president Kirk Naylor’s office to demand equal and inclusive treatment and proper investment toward the education of Black History. The students’ arrests sparked community attention that held the university accountable until the inception of the Black Studies department in 1971. These students are honored today as the “Omaha 54.”
One of them was an influential beauty queen who is now a published author, teacher and advocate for children, family and parental rights. Catherine Pope, Ed.D., Miss Omaha 1969, attended UNO to study Speech Pathology/Audiology. As a college student, she often faced adversity in a predominantly white field.
“I did struggle at times doubting my skills and abilities because I had nowhere to go for help. I had no small groups or professors that would help me feel reassured and help me with problems I had in certain subject areas, so I felt kind of alone.” Pope said.
Pope said at the time she was one of the three Black students to graduate in Speech and Language Pathology. “I think that’s a lesson for any student from any culture. If they come from a rural area to a city or if they’re from another religion, they find themselves in a situation where they feel a little different or they don’t quite fit in, they need to seek a community and it doesn’t have to be on campus or centered around classwork but they can help them push through.”
Pope said her participation in advocacy and involvement in the sit-in protest was inspired by her mother, who was also a civil rights advocate.
“She taught me to see past the ‘glitz and glamor’ and focus on the needs of the voiceless and to see past yourself. I knew that if I had problems fitting in, other students were experiencing the same thing,” Pope said. “At the time, most African American students at all levels of education were voiceless. I also knew that when the marches stopped and the voices quieted down, there had to be governing rules, laws and legislation to take place, so that’s what I always pushed for.”
Pope said she participated in various state and national governing committees seeking change after graduating from UNO. She was the first African American to be Miss Omaha in 1969. This gave her a vital platform to serve her community. Despite public pressure of potentially losing her scholarships and the privileges of being Miss Omaha, she persisted in representing and addressing the struggles of others.
“I’ve always felt like when you’re given the opportunity, you use the platform for good. Not separate who I am but become more of who I am and speak out,” Pope said. “When I decided to work with the Omaha 54 and become a part of that, I felt like it was essential for me to use my voice in that way.”
Before the sit-in, BLAC and another student group, the Afro-American Council for Action, had been advocating for the addition of a Black Studies course at UNO. Their demands were escalated after a failed dance that BLAC organized and held on campus. Since Black student organizations weren’t recognized as official groups at the time by the university, the dance lacked a sound system, resulting in a musicless event and they also had to pay for their security for the dance.
Michael Moroney was co-chair of the Afro-American Council for Action and one of the Omaha 54. At UNO’s 50th Anniversary of the Black Studies Department event in 2021, he said the students agreed to “not protest a dance, but let us protest inequality, racism and the lack of Black recognition on campus.”
The arrests of the Omaha 54 students including Pope and Moroney also inspired community involvement from then Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers, the Omaha NAACP and the Urban League of Nebraska. UNO Black Studies Department Chair, and UNO Black Studies graduate, Cynthia Robinson, Ph.D. said the sacrifices and activism of the 54 Black students, and subsequent support from the Omaha Black community, shaped the development of the department and the continuously evolving curriculum.
“54 Black students wanted courses about African American and African history taught by Black people. The microcosm of Black America being a constant fight is the cost to build the department,” Robinson said. “The community that bailed out and supported the students after they were arrested are the same community in Omaha that supported the Black Studies Department and held them accountable.”
Robinson said with leadership from Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D. and Vice Chancellor Adrian Dowell, she is optimistic that the Black Studies Department will receive campus support in addition to the ongoing community support.
“When you have leadership that doesn’t support the department, it’s a fight, if you have a dean that supports the department, it’s less of a fight. So if you have the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor that supports the Department of Black Studies, it means we have leadership that supports the department,” Robinson said. “In a way, it’s still a fight but it’s easier.”
Robinson helped commemorate the Omaha 54 at UNO’s 50th Anniversary of the Black Studies Department in 2021. The event celebrated and recognized the sacrifice the students made to bring community attention to campus issues that Black students faced historically.
The Department of Black Studies celebrated its 50th anniversary and honored the Omaha 54 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha on Wednesday, July 28, 2021.
Pope was one of the students honored at the event. There, she connected with her fellow students about her accomplishments including publishing her memoir, “In Search of the Crown: Memoir of a Black beauty queen during the Civil Rights Movement” and working with the United States Army and Navy on workplace and sexual assault protections for women. She is an advocate for improving education and received the Phi Gamma Sigma award in 2009 for her contributions to the community.
Pope said the evolution of the Black Studies Department is constant and she is eager to continue to help future generations learn about the significant history and the pioneers behind the movement.
“Across our country, we need to strive to tell our stories,” said Pope. “And to keep those stories alive into perpetuity as we continue to build upon our history.”
Explore the UNO Library University Archives
Historical records from the Department of Black Studies
Historical records on the Omaha 54
THE OMAHA 54
PALMER ANDERSON
WILBUR BAILEY
WILLIAM BATTS
MICHAEL BLACKSON
MICHAEL BROWN
BARBARA BROWN
GERI BROWN
PRESTON BUSH
WANDA BURTON
JOHNNY BUTLER
MARVIN DAILEY
RON ESTES
JESSE EVERETT
HOWARD FARRELL
HAIDEE FOUST
WARREN GREEN
AARON HALL
CLARENCE HALL
MARYL HARRIS
KAREN HAYES
THOMAS HENDRICK
ROBERT HONORE
TERESE HUDGINS
RONALD JACKSON
CAREY JOHNSON
JOSEPH JOHNSON
JESSE KENDLE
RICHARD LEE
VINCENT MALLORY
MICHAEL MARONEY
JAMES MASSEY
LABETA MCCLOUD
HARRY MCGUIRE
SIMON MOSLEY
CATHERINE POPE
JOHNNIE POULE, JR.
DOUGLAS POWELL
CARL ROBINSON
TERRY ROSE
JENNIFER SCOTT
CARL SULLIVAN
WILLIAM TEABOUT
HOWARD TUCKER
PAUL TUCKER
RODGER ULMAR
WILLIAM WALKER
VICKY WEBB
MARLA WEST
GRANT WEST
CONSTANCE WHITE
GARY WILLIAMS
LAVELL WILLIAMS, SR.
THOMAS WRIGHT
DANIEL YANCY